Make no mistake, Dylan Lauren exudes the same effervescent appeal that has made her Dylan’s Candy Bar a true retail phenomenon. And while this candy queen has the impeccable style one would expect of Ralph Lauren’s daughter, she equally lives up to her affable, personable reputation, exuding a warmth truly befitting Hawai‘i.

As part of Ala Moana Center’s Shop a Le‘a celebration, Lauren dropped by Neiman Marcus for two highly anticipated personal appearances for her gorgeous tome, Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life. Decked in vivid, eye-catching hues—“I love color,” she confesses—Lauren moved with ease amid the socialites and fans eager to meet her. In an unexpected twist, a classmate of hers from Duke University, now living in Hawai‘i, even dropped in to say hello.

But Lauren is no stranger to the islands. She adores Kaua‘i in particular. “It’s fun and very international,” she says. Though her visit in Honolulu was short this time around, she was excited for a jog down Kalākaua Avenue. While the entrepreneur loves working out—perhaps as much as candy—she did have other reasons for a jaunt through Waikīkī. “The sweetest thing would be if I could open in Hawai‘i,” she says.

The stylish entrepreneur has good reason to make Hawai‘i part of her game plan. In fact, her line has been so popular at Neiman Marcus in Honolulu that it’s the first Neiman’s location to get a Dylan’s Candy Bar shop. And that’s not all. Future boutiques in Japan or London may not be far behind.

Counting her successes, Lauren credits her legendary father as a role model. “Watching him grow his career and follow his gut was very helpful for me to see,” explains the admiring daughter. “He believed I could do more than just open a little candy store.”